Rebels Humble Diamond Hogs 7-3

BY ANDRES FOCIL

The loss evens the series and drops the Razorbacks to 35-16 on the season and 15-11 in Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss improves to 32-19 on the year and 14-12 in league play.

After pounding out a SEC-high 17 hits on Friday night the Hogs’ bats went all but silent on Saturday. Arkansas managed just four hits with two coming from Clint Arnold. James Ewing and Logan Forsythe chipped in with one hit each.

Brett Bukvich squelched the Hogs’ offense all afternoon, allowing just three hits over seven innings to improve to 5-4 on the year. He fanned five and walked two while allowing just three runs. Will Kline pitched the final two innings to close out the Ole Miss win.

Razorbacks’ right-hander Daryl Maday took the loss, his first of the season, to fall to 1-1. He allowed three runs – all earned – on five hits in 5.2 innings of work.

Arnold came through with the big hit for the Razorbacks in the sixth inning. The sophomore from Grand Prairie, Texas, lined a 2-2 pitch from Bukvich over the left-center field wall for a two-run home run. It was the third home run of the season for Arnold and put Arkansas on top 2-1.

However the lead was short lived as Ole Miss answered quickly in the bottom half of the inning as Alex Presely crushed a Maday offering deep over the right-center field fence to put the Rebels on top 3-2. Maday had walked Chris Coghlan to open the inning.

The Rebels buried the Razorbacks with a three-run seventh inning that saw reliever Brian McLelland surrender four hits and a walk before being replaced by Trey Holloway. Holloway worked out of the inning by getting the final two outs.

The Razorbacks got a run in the eight on an Arnold single through the left side, but Ewing hit into a double play to end the inning. The Rebels came right back with a run in the eighth off Holloway to push the lead back to four runs at 7-3.

Ole Miss jumped out early again on Saturday with a RBI single by Alex Presely with two outs in the first inning on the heels of Zack Cozart’s double down the left-field line.

Razorbacks’ catcher Brian Walker was ejected in the top of the third inning by home plate umpire Nelson Graham. Walker thought he was hit on the tip of the elbow by a Bukvich pitch and was tossed by home plate umpire Nelson Graham for arguing a pitch later after striking out. Blake Parker entered the game for Walker.

Maday settled down after the rough first inning and retired the next 10 batters before Logan Powers laid down a bunt single with two outs in the fifth inning.

Presley led the Rebels 12-hit attack with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate and four RBI.